


It just happens

by plsnskanks (orphan_account)



Category: Eddsworld - All Media Types
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, M/M, Rape, Rape Recovery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-13
Updated: 2017-02-13
Packaged: 2018-11-01 18:17:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10927365
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/plsnskanks





	1. Chapter 1

It just happens. Tom swears up and down, side to side that it just happens. He swears he wasn’t directly looking for this, wasn’t trying to break his promise to Edd.

His heat hits. And there’s no one home. Tom knew it was coming but decided to keep it a secret. Why? It was obvious his friends would help him no matter what. That was the problem.

Edd and Matt had planned to go to a long awaited comic convention. They had scrimped and saved for months and Tom knew they would drop all that planning and effort in a minute if they knew about his heat. He wouldn’t do that, wouldn’t be a burden on them like that. They’ll be back tomorrow anyways, if he can hold out until then they can probably help him.

That only left Tord. Tord had been MIA for almost a week. He was the kind of guy that just tended to disappear for a week or two and pop again, maybe with a bruise or scratch and an odd excuse about where he got it.

So that left Tom alone and in heat, and he tried, he really, really did, to stay inside with his toys. At about two hours he had hit his limit. He had thrown up until there was nothing left but stomach acid, tried to wait out the cramps, tried any number of internet remedies to at least stave off some of the worst effects of his biology. But either way by one a.m. he had found himself back at that seedy bar that had seen him leave with a black eye the last time he visited.

It goes well initially. He hangs out by the bathrooms and within a half hour he’s being bent over a pool table in a back room having the time of his life. He doesn’t even care when the alpha fucking him gives him a nasty bite that starts to bleed almost immediately after he lets go. He sucks some beta off while his friend knots him and he can feel himself reaching his peak when everything starts to go wrong. The alpha behind him pulls out almost as soon as he’s finished leaving Tom hard and wanting against the table. A considerably taller and larger alpha comes out from the corner of the room. Had Tom been more coherent he probably would have noticed the alpha had been eying him all night and gotten the fuck out of there accordingly.

Instead when the man approaches, asks Tom to go somewhere more private, Tom merely giggles and lets him scoop him off the table and carry him out into an alley. Where he is promptly slammed against a wall so hard he hears his teeth clack. The alpha above him is on him and in him instantly sawing in and out with no respect or care for Tom’s own enjoyment. Very frankly, it hurts. He feels like his insides are being rubbed down with sandpaper and he starts to claw at the alpha’s back to get him to stop. When he draws blood the alpha finally seems to notice.

And promptly backhands him across the face for it. Tom resigns himself to ride it out. When it comes time to knot, the alpha is late in pushing it in. He probably did it on purpose just to spite him. Tom starts to sob as he attempts to push it in. The alpha covers his mouth with his hand and thrusts in. Tom tries to scream through his fingers. They smell putrid and he wants to vomit. It’s another couple agonizing minutes until the alpha is coming. 

Tom can’t explain why or how, but as the alpha is pulling out he starts to orgasm. It’s the shittiest orgasm he’s had in his life. The man lets him fall to the dirty ground, cum, slick and blood oozing out of him.

“Told you you’d love it, bitch,” he grunts as he turns and leaves.

Tom want to curl up and cry. Sob into his arms like a baby. But he refuses, absolutely refuses, to debase himself even more by laying on the floor of a dirty alley like an infant. He limps home, thanking the lord that the streets are empty this time of night. Immediately he takes a shower. He knows he is basically washing any trace or compelling evidence down the drain but he doesn’t care. He doesn’t want to spend another moment smelling or feeling like this. Tom gets back into his room and simply collapses on his bed passing out almost immediately.

When he wakes up its to the sound of voices passing by in the hallway. He gets a sharp knock on his door. Instantly a wave of panic washes over Tom. He looks at himself in the mirror. The left side of his face is bruised to high hell, his shoulders are littered in hickys, and there are at least three bite marks, one of which looks like it might be infected.

Edd is going to kill him. No, wait. Tord is going to kill him when he gets home and Edd will burn the body.

Tom looks out the window and notices Tord’s car in the driveway. Of course. Of course he had come home while he was sleeping. Because fate couldn’t allow Tom one single fucking respite from the hell that was consequences for his actions.

“Tom are you okay? We brought you some cool stuff from the convention!” Matt’s upbeat voice slips under his door.

“I’m fine,” he saids, his voice coming out hoarse initially, “just a little sick. Don’t think I’ll be down for dinner, I’m going to go to bed.”

“Uh okay? Do you want me to bring you anything?”

“No, I’m fine.”

Tom decided he may as well get a full assessment of his body. He flips the lock on his door and quickly undresses. There are bruises on his hips and thighs where he had been gripped roughly. His shirt hid even more hickies farther down his chest and. Finally Tom sucks in a breath and goes to sit on the floor and lean back so he can see his nether regions. And its, well….

It’s bad.

His vag is swollen and raw. It hurts to even touch or if he spreads his legs to wide. There’s blood crusted around the edge and dried residue from last night’s events. He feels nauseous just looking at it, so he stops. Every derogatory slur for an omega pops in his head and he feels like breaking down into tears. The only thing that stops him is another knock on the door.

“Tom its Edd, are you okay? Matt says you aren’t feeling well.”

“’M fine.”

“Well we have a gift for you, want to open your door so I can give it to you?”

Tom sighed. He knew Edd knew something was up. People liked to write him off as a bit of an oaf, but he was really quite sharper than almost anyone gave him credit for. 

“No.”

“Why?”

“Cause you’ll be mad,” Tom hated how childish those words sounded.

“I promise I won’t be, I just want to know you’re okay,” Edd said gently.

“I’m fine.”

“Okay. Dinner will be in the fridge if you want any.”

“Thanks Edd.”

Tom listened to the sounds of the house for a while. He waited until he heard Matt and Edd come down the hallway and go to their rooms for the night. Once the house was silent, Tom ventured out. He went downstairs and opened the leftovers saved for him, but the thought of eating made his stomach clench, so he put it back and shut the fridge.

And nearly leapt out of his skin to see Tord was standing behind the door.

“Jesus fucking Christ can you move around like a normal person? Stop with the horror movie bullshit,” Tom spat.

Tord merely stared at him eyes wide. Then he grabbed him by the wrist and started dragging him out of the kitchen.

“What are you doing?”

“We’re gonna go talk to Edd about why you can’t keep promises,” Tord said calmly refusing to look at him.

“Tord, no wait please. Please don’t do that,” Tom said, grabbing onto the stairway banner as Tord started to make his way upstairs.

Tord snapped his head back to give Tom a glare that made him want to shrivel up and disappear. “Why the fuck not? You clearly have an issue with self-worth if you think it’s even remotely okay to pull this kind of shit. Why do you like letting people treat you this way?”  
A light flicked on upstairs and all the blood rushed out of Tom’s face. All that confrontation that he had been trying to avoid was rising to the surface to swallow him whole.

“Tord? Tom? What are you two yelling about?” Matt’s head peered down the stairs. As soon as he caught sight of Tom’s face he disappeared.

“No Matt! Wait! Don’t get Edd!” Tom called after him.

“Come on,” Tord said, tugging Tom up the stairs.

When Tom refused, he went to grab him. Tom felt the two hands on his shoulders and stiffened immediately. Tord let go as he felt him tense, backing off immediately.

“Don’t do that,” Tom said quietly.

“Okay, okay. Please go upstairs Tom, we just want to help you. I want to help you,” Tord said softly. He placed extra emphasis on the please. It was probably as close to begging as someone like Tord would ever get.

“Okay.” 

When Tom reached the top of the stairs Matt and Edd were waiting. Edd had a first aid kit in his hands. Tom felt like an even bigger piece of shit. Everyone had probably been well aware of Tom’s activities as soon as they walked in the door, they were just too polite to confront him about it or force him out of his comfort zone.

“Okay, let’s go to Matt’s room and sort this out,” Edd said.

Edd and Matt led the way while Tom trudged behind them and Tord behind him. He felt like a prisoner, to be honest. They were probably going to treat him like one too. Interrogate him. Tell him how stupid he was. How worthless he was to let other do this to him.

“Okay Tom what happened,” Edd said as Tom sat down on the bed.

“I broke my promise,” Tom said sullenly.

“I don’t care about that,” Tom looked at Edd in blatant disbelief. “Okay, I do, but that’s not what is important. This is even worse than last time, and that just from what I can see.”

Tom shrugged, “I didn’t want to burden anyone. I knew you guys had something planned so I tried to deal with it myself. And when that didn’t work I got help.”

“From all the wrong places,” Tord said.

“I’m well aware thanks,” Tom spat back.

“Calm down, both of you. Tord don’t comment if you can’t be supportive,” Edd chastised. Tord crossed his arms and looked away.

“Why don’t you walk us through your night so we can get an idea of what happened,” Matt said.

“Well, I went to the bar around one. I had a good time with some people,” Tord snorted and Tom paused to glare at him before Edd motioned for him to continue. “Everything was okay until some guy wanted to go somewhere else. I was thinking with my dick so I went with him and he was a little rough. That’s it.”

Edd looked at him for a long moment then asked, “So did you like him being rough?”

“Not really,” Tom said nonchalantly. 

“Did you ask him or try to get him to stop?”

Tom thought about how hard he had scratch his shoulders trying to get him to notice how much pain he had been in.

“Yeah.” He thought about how much that knot had hurt.

“And what happened?”

He hit him. That’s all he had to say. Three words. It was easy. So Tom had absolutely no clue why that was the moment his eyes started to brim over with tears and his throat closed up. He looked down at his hands and then up at the stunned faces of his friends. Instead of voicing his words he just vaguely gestured to his face.

Strong hands were around pulling him into a warm chest that smelled like firewood and smoke. A hand rubbed his back soothingly as he let out soft little hiccups in between sobs. A soft voice was whispering something in Norwegian in his ear. He had no clue what was being said but he felt himself calming.

When Tord released him, Edd asked,” Can we help you?”

Tom thought for a moment. He could say no. He could go and patch and lick his wounds by himself. But a part of him didn’t want that. He didn’t want this even to be some dirty secret he hid under his bed and shuddered about for years. He didn’t want to suffer it alone. He couldn’t do that. The thought was absolutely terrifying.

“Okay.”

Gentle hands helped strip him. Tord took of his pants. His mouth hardened into a solid thin line when he caught sight of the handprints on Tom’s thighs. He didn’t say a word. When everything was off Matt took out some rubbing alcohol and pour some onto a cotton puff. Tord points to his lower region.

“Can I?”

Tom hesitates. He doesn’t know why. Tord’s seen it all before, countless times. He’s been in it countless times. He gives a curt nod.

Gently Tord probes between his folds, takes a look at his thighs again. He wipes away some of the blood that has accrued there, even after the shower. He looks for a long moment at the bloody wipe. Then draws his hands back looking pained. Like someone had hit him across the face.

“I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“For implying you asked for this.”

“It’s okay.”

“It’s really not.”

Tom shrugged. He didn’t know what else to do.

“If you let me know when you heats are I’ll be there. I’ll be there for every one. We don’t have to have sex, I can just help you… I don’t know,” Tord said his voice cracking as he trailed off. He got down on his knees and grasped Tom’s hands. “Tom please don’t do this anymore. Please, please, don’t do this anymore. I can’t….”

The silence hangs between them as Edd begins to prod at the particularly nasty bite wound with a cotton puff, Tom winces. His whole body stings and aches. But it feels better than it did before. The pain feels good. It feels like it’s a step to something better. What’s that stupid old military saying? “Pain is just weakness leaving the body.”

Tom reaches out and softly touches Tord’s shoulder. Even though they’ve been intimate countless times, Tom rarely ever initiates physical contact. 

“I promise.”

Tord smiles at him. This watery eyed shakey smile where his lips quiver a little. He looks like a five year old who just got told all dogs go to heaven. 

Tom can’t help but snort out a laugh and instantly that smile is gone and good riddance. In its place is a scowl and it’s never been more endearing.

Edd and Matt finish bandaging him and as Edd is putting away the rubbing alcohol, Tom quips “First and last time you ever give me alcohol.”

Edd cracks a smile and pulls him into a crushing bear hug. Before letting him go he pulls back and looks Tom dead in the eye.

“I want a schedule of your heats. We’ll plan around it, but if I don’t get a schedule of when you estimate your next one might be, your room is getting turned back into a pool and you’re going to move in with me. And I snore. Horribly.”

After Edd lets go Matt pulls him into a hug and doesn’t let go for a while. He just lets Tom rest his head on his shoulder while he cradles him for a bit. Tom hasn’t felt this coddled since he was in diapers. It’s a good kind of coddling though. Tom thinks about how many people in his life are looking out for him.

It makes him give himself an appraisal.


	2. Chapter 2

In about two seconds flat the contents of Tom’s stomach were on the bathroom floor. In another 5 seconds Tom was laying face down in said vomit, on said floor, and in another 30 he was being pulled up by his hoodie to sit staring into the face of a very angry, and very handsome alpha.

Wait. Scratch that last bit. Those were his hormones talking.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Tord said, deadpan.

“Hu?”

“Don’t ‘hu’ me you little shit, we leave you alone with a bottle of Smirnoff for 10 seconds and your lying face down aspirating in it.”

“I wasn’t aspigating shit, I was just drinking,” Tom slurred back.

“And why, pray tell, were you drinking?” Tord said, rubbing his temples in an attempt to stave off the oncoming headache that was holding a conversation with drunk Tom.

“Cause it’s Saturday,” came the reply.

“Yeah well, if you keep doing this every Saturday, I don’t think your liver will hold up. You have a problem,” Tord said.

“You say that and it sounds like you care, but what you really mean is I am a problem,” came the surprisingly lucid reply which caught Tord off guard.

“What? I don’t think you’re a problem. I just think some of the behaviors you have are problematic. I am trying to stop you from having to have someone save you from yourself,” Tord said grabbing the hand towel by the sink and wetting it so he could wipe down some of the vomit on Tom’s face.

“Well did you ever think that if you stop trying to help me, all my problems would probably solve themselves?”

Tord’s eyes narrowed at that. He wasn’t exactly sure what Tom was implying but he knew something was being implied along lines that he didn’t like.

“Letting you drown in your own vomit isn’t a solution to anything. Tom what is wrong? You haven’t drank like this since before Edd threatened to kick you out if you didn’t stop, and that was sometime before last Christmas.” 

“I’m fine.”

Tord struggled to keep from raising his voice. “Nothing about this is “fine”. Your current physical and mental state right now aren’t anything approximating normal. Stop pushing me away and let me help you,” despite his best efforts, Tord ended up shouting the last sentence. Tom flinched away at the volume, huddling in on himself.

Tord let out a hefty sigh.

“Is this about what happened last month?”

Tom refused to look at him. He shrugged his shoulders noncommittally. The bruise on his cheek was basically gone. It was a light yellow color, barely noticeable and quickly fading back to normal skin tone with every passing day. The bite marks and hickies were pretty much gone too, at worst, some faint scabs were left over. Physically there was almost no trace of what had happened. Tom was deceptively calm about it too. The only sign besides the drinking that Tord had noticed was how Tom tended to shy away from movies with excessive violence and loud voices, opting to leave the room and visit the bathroom for long periods, only coming back when it was apparent the scenes had been over for quite a few minutes. Neither Edd nor Matt seemed concerned when this happened. While either one could be sharp when it came to reading moods, sometimes they missed the bigger signs where as they were extremely adept at picking up the little signs. Forest for the trees and all that. Tord’s problem was the inverse. Overall, though, it was obvious they all knew something was up with Tom.

“You can talk about it. It doesn’t have to be with me, but if its really eating you up like this, please talk to someone. We can find a therapist or find you a group,” Tord said, trying not to plead. To pressure Tom or make him uncomfortable. This behavior was giving him anxiety when it came to leaving Tom alone. He was worried what would happen when he wasn’t around to mediate this kind of behavior. Tom had never been the best at treating himself or others with respect or dignity, his abrasive behavior was part of his rough charm. But he had never been reckless like this. He had never been so shut down or closed off to others. To help.

“I already told you what happened. When I tried to ask him to stop… he… he….” Tom trailed off. He still couldn’t seem to get over the hump of maintaining his composure when talking about what had happened to him. A dry sob came out instead. This was the kind of would that wouldn’t heal very quickly over time if at all. If anything it would fester and rot under the right conditions. Tord didn’t want that, but he didn’t know where to go or what to do, or how to even verify that the right steps were being taken to make sure that Tom was making progress in overcoming his experience.

“He hit you.”

Tord sat with Tom for a bit, just letting him cry it out. After a while he asked, “Do you want to go see Edd?”

Tom snapped up immediately, “ No, no, no. Anyone but Edd. Out of everyone in this house he hates when I drink the most. He’s going to be so disappointed in me.”

“He’s not disappointed in you.”

“He will be. He told me that last Christmas. You know, out of all the shitty things people have done like give me a black eye, bite me, or… you know. That hurt the worst,” Tom said pulling his knees up to his chest and tucking his chin into them.

“That was different Tom. He was upset because you weren’t applying yourself. Disappointment comes from a place of genuine concern. He knew you could do better and was frustrated you weren’t applying yourself, and frankly because you’re an asshole when you get belligerently drunk. But this, this kind of drinking, this thing where you clam up and don’t talk and internalize all your emotions… it’s scary Tom. Edd knows you’re drinking, albeit not how much, and he hasn’t said anything not because he’s disappointed but because he’s worried and doesn’t want to over step his bounds.”

Tom sat in silence for a while still huddled up in a small ball, in a bathroom that reeked of upchuck with his bruised face and his bruised dignity. And he just looked so distant for a moment, gone out of this place with its bright lights, clashing smells, and white linoleum. He stared out into nothing and seemed to see something endlessly more immersive than the reality that was presently occurring. In another moment he was back.

“I’m okay to talk to Edd,” Tom said with finality.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. It’s my choice.”

“I wouldn’t rather have it any other way,” Tord said with a small smile. 

Tom smiled back. Tord gripped his hoodie and helped pull himself to his feet. Tom wobbled a bit and Tord steadied him. They walked down the hallway, Tom leaning heavily on him, smelling of puke and looking like hell. But he looked better. Better than he had in a month. And that was beautiful in a way words would forever fail to capture.

Tom knocked on Edd’s door when they reached it. The door opened and Edd’s friendly face popped around the door.

“Hey, what’s up?” he asked before taking a moment to assess Tom’s state. Edd’s lips twitched downwards involuntarily, the only emotion he expressed.

“I was wondering if we could talk?”

Edd’s eyes lit up and he pushed the door open moving aside to make room for Tom. Once Tom had stepped inside and past him, Edd allowed himself a genuine smile, he looked at Tord for a moment, eyes expressing pure gratitude.

Tom looked over his shoulder.

“You can come in too,” he said. 

Tord’s heart felt like a juice box someone had sucked dry. It was a shriveled up carton in his chest, squeezed so tightly, he didn’t think he could wring a drop more out of it. He stepped inside and sat on the bed next to Tom. Edd’s room seemed to have become the emotional fulcrum of the house by accident.

Or maybe not. Maybe it was a natural progression.

“What did you want to talk about?” Edd said.

Tom sighed and hesitated for a moment.

“I don’t feel okay. And I feel upset because, before… everything, I felt like I was doing really well. Like everything has just gone backwards.”

“Backwards?” Edd questioned gently.

“Like all the progress I made just got wiped away and I’m back to where I was,” Tom said.

“I don’t think that’s true at all, you came to me didn’t you?”

“Only because Tord had to talk me into it?” Tom said, throwing the man a sidelong glance.

“It’s been a month Tom. No one expects you to be okay a year from now and you are opening up after thirty days. That’s amazing,” Edd said, placing his hands on his friends shoulders to reaffirm his statement.

Tom’s face crumpled like a piece of notebook paper being wadded up. Edd pulled him into a warm hug, letting his friend hide his face in his shoulder until his shoulders stopped shaking.

“I got really scared. I tried to stop him, you believe me right? That I didn’t want it. He thought I did because I came at the end and I don’t know why but I did,” the words tumbled out of him like high tide coming in, like a force of nature, unstoppable and flowing organically out of him.

“Tom that kind of thing doesn’t mean anything. And you shouldn’t feel ashamed of anything you felt at that time or feel now. If emotions were entirely logical, we wouldn’t have problems. It’s okay to feel confused or scared or ashamed of something your body did while someone did something to you without consent,” Edd said, rubbing a hand on his back. He looked past Tom at Tord who looked positively miserable. He felt useless and powerless to help Tom. He didn’t know how to soothe Tom like Edd, or make him grin like Matt.

Tom tucked his face back into Edd’s arms and just stayed like that. No tears. No sounds. Just silence and comfort in the arms of someone else. Human contact. Tom wasn’t a touch person. He wasn’t a people person. But that didn’t mean he didn’t get lonely and didn’t get contact starved.

After a while he pulled back and said, “I’m going to bed. I’m tired. Thanks Tord, thanks Edd. He let Edd pull him into a bear hug before releasing him. He turned to Tord and before he could really process it, the smaller man threw his arms around him and gave him a soft hug, before letting go and walking out of the room a bit unsteadily. He closed the door after him.

“If you think you didn’t help him, stop it, you did just fine,” Edd said looking at Tord who looked bewildered at the events that had just happened.

“I didn’t do anything, I barely know how to talk to him without sending him into a fit or driving him to tears,” Tord said, running a hand through his hair looking distressed.

“Tord, I’ve been trying to think of how to get him to talk to me for over a month and you got him to do it of his own accord after one conversation. He’s going to need a while, and this is probably never going to completely go away, but this is a massive first step that was entirely facilitated by you and Tom,” Edd punched his friend on the shoulder. Hard.

“Stop being so hard on yourself, you have the rest of us for that.”

Tord pulled his face out of his hands to rub his shoulder looking at Edd belligerently. Edd beamed at him. He allowed him a sincere chuckle what rumbled out of him and bloomed into outright laughter, hearty and full, rich like chocolate. Maybe a tad hysterical. Boulders rolled off his shoulders as they shook with laughter. Things would maybe someday be a little more alright and a little more okay.


	3. Chapter 3

It’s a nice afternoon. All four of them are out of the house laughing and having a good time walking to the grocery store. They’ve plans for a movie night and are going to positively load down their carts with junk food.

Tom splits off to go get himself a bottle of vodka. He’s been feeling good these past few months and moderating his drinking has become easier and easier, with minimal relapses.

At least he was feeling good. Until every muscle in his body seizes up as he notices the build of the man six feet away looking at a bottle of jack. It really shouldn’t be surprising that they’d run into each other. He was walking distance from the bar they’d first met at after all.

Met. They’d met. What a mundane way to put such an indescribably horrific occasion.

The man, Tom never learned his name, looks up and everything above Tom’s neck just stops working. His mouth hangs open slightly, and the man just smirks at him. What takes about five seconds feels like an eternity as the man makes his way over to Tom.

Tom wants to run, he wants someone to help him, he wants the man to go away. But apparently none of these options are viable because he just keeps coming like an iron wall. Tom feels himself being gripped by his arm.

“Hey there pretty little thing, I don’t forget a fuck like you. You come here wanting a round two? Nice alley out back we can use for a quickie.”

Tom wants to scream. There is so much terror and rage at the fact he is going exactly back to where he was months ago despite feeling so free of it all moments ago. He can feel himself moving, more like being dragged because his feet won’t work on there own.

“Tom? Come on you slow shit, we are trying to go home before sunset.”

Oh my god has Tord’s voice never sounded so beautiful. Tom looks at the end of the aisle to see Tord looking at those two. Tord takes in the scene for a long minute. Then things happen in flashes.

There’s blood on the floor the next time he looks down. That grip is off of him and isn’t that a relief. Next thing he knows someone is screaming. Maybe it’s him. Maybe it’s Tord. Maybe it’s the attendant at the register.

It certainly isn’t his rapist, because Tord has his hands around his neck and is wringing it like its a wet towel.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” he snarls.

Isn’t that a funny question to ask a dying man?

Then Tord gets socked in the face by none other then Edd. He is sent sprawling onto the ground and Tom finds himself being hoisted into warm arms. He startles a bit and turns to see his attacker only to recognize the purple hoodie and green jacket. Oh.

“What the fuck is wrong with your friend?” The man wheezes from his position on the floor.

Edd stoops down to his position and glares down at him.

“I catch you near him,” he flings his arm out towards Tom. “And I either let him finish strangling you next time, or I deal with you myself.”

“The little fucking whore? Is that what this is about? He asked for it. He was ready and willing!” The man growled.

Edd looks at him for a long second. He clenches and unclenches his fists. Then he gets up and pulls Tord to his feet. He motions to Matt and Tord to walk. Edd stands still just breathing as he watches his friends walk away. He delivers a vicious kick to the man’s stomach and follows after his friends as he listens to the distorted wheezing fade away behind him.

Edd throws a few bills at the attendant at the register with a muttered “Sorry for the mess”, and they exit the store sans groceries. It’s a quiet walk home. When they get in the house Edd goes to the fridge and pulls out some ice, wraps it in a towel and hands it to Tord.

“Sorry,” he says, holding out the ice.

Tord takes it and grins a little, “I guess it’s better than thirty to life.”

Edd smiles a bit at that, but guilt is still plainly written across his features. Tord pats him on the back, in a sort of “don’t mind” gesture. The focus of the room shifts to Tom, who is still being held in Matt’s arms.

He just stares off into space for a bit before he realizes he has three sets of eyes on him.

“Sorry for the trouble,” he mumbles.

Edd pinches the bridge of his nose and leans back for a long moment.

“I am way too keyed up on adrenaline, because hearing that come out of your mouth made me want to sock you one as well,” Edd said after a pause. Tom shrunk back further into Matt’s arms.

Tord looks at him with this unreadable look.

“Thanks for helping me, I think he wanted me out in the alley again,” Tom said robotically.

Tord gets up and comes over to Matt. He gently takes Tom from his arms. Tom finds himself in a crushing embrace. When he tries to pull back, Tord doesn’t let him. He realizes after a moment Tord’s shoulders are shaking.

“Please don’t be upset because of me,” Tom murmurs softly.

“I’m not upset because of you, you absolute idiot. I am upset for you,” Tord manages out. Tom is still pressed into his sweatshirt and he has the feeling Tord won’t let him out until he is in a more stable condition.

Matt wraps his arms around the other side of Tord pulling him into a hug.

“All of you need to calm down, stop hitting people, and eat some food. Why don’t we get a pizza or something?” He suggests softly.

“Sounds good,” Tom mumbles.

“Hey Tord, Edd, can you go handle that for a little bit?”

Reluctantly, Tord lets Tom go and still hiding his face from Tom, shuffles out of the room, ice in hand, followed by Edd. It’s just Matt and Tom now.

“Hey,” Matt begins softly, reaching out to Tom. Tom flinches at the gesture. Matt withdraws his hand.

“Sorry, still a bit on edge,” Tom said, refusing to look at Matt.

“It’s okay. It’s normal. Listen Tom, maybe you should go to therapy. I know we’ve brought it up before, but I really, really think you should try it. Especially after this. I’ll go with you. You don’t have to do it alone, or with a group. We can figure it out,” Matt said softly.

“What if I don’t like it? Or it isn’t helpful. Or it’s just too hard?” Tom asked. Opening up about it sounded nice, in theory. Tom knew from experience that it wasn’t nearly that easy.

“Then you don’t have to go anymore. We are looking to help you, not push even more stress on you. You have control over this, Tom. You have power,” Matt said, grasping Tom’s hand lightly.

Tom didn’t feel like anything in his life was under his direction. But maybe if Matt believed in that, in time he could convince himself too.

Tom nodded. Matt hugged him and then asked what he wanted to do.

They watched movies, they ate pizza, and when the events of the day finally hit and the numbness wore off, they let Tom deal with it by himself in the bathroom for a little while. When he came back, it was to open arms, open minds, and open hearts.


End file.
